Overview
- FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis expects the internal combustion engine to be the initial performance differentiator under the new rules.
- The ADUO system will track power output every six races and grant extra development to any manufacturer more than 2% down to accelerate convergence.
- Esteban Ocon warns the cars will require a fundamentally different technique, comparing the switch to jumping into a rally car, while Haas reports limited 2026 simulator data.
- The overhaul brings moveable aerodynamics, narrower wings, reduced floor and body widths to cut turbulent air, and a major power-unit shift with roughly a 50-50 thermal–electric balance.
- Pre-season running totals 11 days, starting with a five-day Barcelona shakedown followed by two three-day tests in Bahrain.